


Sayonara

by evilkat



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 13:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2774393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilkat/pseuds/evilkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Apologizing simply wasn’t Gin’s style, but in this instance he figured he’d make the exception.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sayonara

The end is near, he can feel it. All his hard work, a century and a half of patience, and when it was all said and done, it didn’t amount to anything. Sadly, this is the legacy that Ichimaru Gin will be leaving behind. 

He had been so close. Literally holding success in the palm of his hand, but the trickster had, in turn, been tricked and it cost him dearly. Aizen not killing him outright was testament to the other’s anger. The slow death was the worst punishment he could have dealt and Gin now understood why. The waiting was agony.

He coughs; a pitiful wheezing sound as his lungs fill with blood. He can feel it trickle out the corner of his mouth.

“Please try to stay still.” 

He looks up into the worried eyes of the woman bent over him. Rangiku…his Rangiku. He didn’t have the strength to lift his head, but from the soft glow emanating from below his chest he knew she was trying to heal him. A pointless effort. 

“Lemme go,” he whispers to her. 

“No! No, I can heal you…please.” The tears fall anew from her sky-blue eyes, running down well-traveled paths on her cheeks. She takes a moment to choke back the rest before continuing. “If you think I’m just going to let you die on me without telling me why you di-“

“All for ya…always for ya.” It was getting harder to speak. Her eyes went impossibly wide at the revelation and Gin smiles. He did always love surprising her. 

“Why?” she gasps. 

“Because ya deserve to have someone lookout for ya.” He’s feeling so tired now. He struggles to keep his eyes open so that he can keep looking at her. He never wanted to see her cry. It was cruel irony that his last image of her would be just that. Her sudden laugh catches him off guard.

“You have a funny way of showing your emotions, Gin.”

He smiles again. “I’ve been told that before.” Another cough ravages his body. Rangiku quickly gets her arms under his back to sit him up to help ease his breathing. He can see the worry and the fear in her expression and there is nothing he can do to fix it. Time had run out.

“Tell Kira that I’m proud of him…he’s become so strong. I know he won’t understand, but try to explain it, yeah?” She nods, but doesn’t argue as if sensing there was nothing more she could do. His eyes drift close and he forces them back open.

“I’m so sorry….sorry I couldn’t get him back for what they did to ya.” Apologizing simply wasn’t Gin’s style, but in this instance he figured he’d make the exception. “Wanted to hurt him so bad for sending them after ya and letting them hurt ya.” She was openly sobbing again. 

She takes hold of his remaining hand in both of hers and presses it to her chest. Gin can feel her heart pounding. “I know…I know you did. “

That eased some of the burden. “Remember me?” 

“Always.”

And with that promise, Ichimaru Gin let his eyes close and gave into the comforting darkness that pulled him down, and down, and down.

 

-End

**Author's Note:**

> The tragedy of these two has always been a soft spot for me. This was the ending I felt they deserved. Feedback is always appreciated.


End file.
